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On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Cardinal Archbishop József Mindszenty, a mass will be held in St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
The main celebrant of the Mass will be Archbishop György Udvardy of Veszprém, as Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, who celebrates the annual Mass in memory of József Mindszenty, is in Rome for the conclave starting on May 7.
File photo of Cardinal Péter Erdő. MTI/Lakatos Péter
The event will mark the 110th anniversary of the ordination of József Mindszenty, the 80th anniversary of his appointment as Archbishop, and the 50th anniversary of his death. The mass is traditionally held in the Esztergom Basilica, but will be held this year in Budapest due to the renovation of the cathedral. Over 300 young people attending church schools will take part.
József Mindszenty, born in 1892, was appointed bishop of Veszprém by Pope Pius XII in 1944, and was imprisoned by the fascist Arrow Cross government shortly afterwards. He became Archbishop of Esztergom and Prince Primate of Hungary in 1945, and was made a cardinal in 1946.
The Cardinal was illegally arrested on December 26, 1948 and sentenced to life imprisonment on trumped-up charges in July 1949. After six years in a Budapest prison, he was imprisoned in Püspökszentlászlo from August 17, 1955 and in Felsőpetény from November 2, 1955. Due to his deteriorating health, he was released on October 30, 1956.
Cardinal Mindszenty (C) after his release in 1956. Photo: Fortepan, ETH Zürich. Comet Photo AG/Jack Metzger
At dawn on November 4, after the attack of Soviet troops, he was given refuge in the United States Embassy. He was not allowed to leave the embassy until 15 years later, on September 28, 1971, when he went first to Rome and then to Vienna.
József Mindszenty died on May 6, 1975 and was buried in Mariazell. The Supreme Court declared him innocent on May 18, 1990. His body was solemnly repatriated on May 4, 1991, and reburied in the basilica of Esztergom. His beatification trial began in 1994, and is still ongoing at the Vatican.
Via MTI; Featured Image: Fortepan, Bass Tibor